Typically, foot operated control pedals in motor vehicles, particularly those for the brakes and the clutch, are rotatably mounted to a bracket in the vehicle by aligning a pivot axis of the pedal with an axis of rotation of the bracket, and passing a bolt through apertures defining those axes. The bolt must also be passed through bushings and spacers disposed between the bracket and the pedal. The bolt is tightened, and the pedal pivots about the bolt.
The use of an axially inserted bolt or shaft has two disadvantages. One is that this method of assembly is inherently difficult because three to four items must be simultaneously axially aligned by an assembler. A second disadvantage is that it is necessary to reserve a large amount of access space for the axial insertion and removal of the bolt. Other disadvantages relate to the use of a threaded fastener. A significant amount of time is required to thread the nut and bolt together. It is also necessary to provide equipment controlling the assembly torque of the joint.
Alternative mounting means to bolts are found in the prior art, but they share the disadvantages of axial manipulation of the mounting means to rotatably secure the pedal to the bracket. The mounting according to this invention rotatably connects the pedal with the bracket by merely manipulating the pedal relative to the bracket to align the pivot axis with the axis of rotation. This invention also eliminates the need for spacers and bushings in the pedal mounting.